State Roundup, June 19, 2015

DEADLY FORCE: Lawmakers considering changes to policing in Maryland after the death of Freddie Gray are looking at whether state law should more strictly define the circumstances in which officers can use deadly force. Sen. Catherine Pugh, co-chair of the state’s new working group on public safety, said she wants to learn more about how and when local police are trained to pull their weapons. The panel is reviewing the law amid growing concern around policing in Baltimore, where homicides have spiked and arrests have declined since six Baltimore police officers were charged in Gray’s arrest and death, writes Kevin Rector of the Sun.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS: Gov. Larry Hogan this year became the latest Republican state leader to back bills intended to reduce recidivism and help ex-offenders find jobs. Advocates say he and other Republicans have shown a willingness to rethink long-held theories about how to reduce crime, Ovetta Wiggins of the Post is reporting. “There’s a change in climate in criminal justice reform,” said Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, a national advocacy group that has worked to change the way Americans view crime and punishment

FROSH FILES AGAINST EVEREST GROUPS: Attorney General Brian E. Frosh is seeking to put investment adviser and infomercial star Philippe Rousseaux and his Towson firms out of business. Frosh alleges in an administrative filing that Rousseaux, either independently or through his Everest financial companies, has misled clients about service charges and the firms’ stock market successes and falsified forms intended to protect investors when transferring assets, writes Steve Lash in the Daily Record.

ARUNDEL CASINO GRANTS: The group that oversees Anne Arundel County’s share of Maryland Live casino revenues voted Wednesday to increase community grants from $250,000 to $300,000. The grants are awarded to local organizations that improve the community in a 3-mile radius of the casino, such as Severn Crest Homeowners Association and the Assistance League of Chesapeake, Cindy Huang writes in the Annapolis Capital.

END FOSSIL FUEL RELIANCE, O’MALLEY SAYS: Former Gov. Martin O’Malley called Thursday for ending the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels by 2050 and doubling energy efficiency within 15 years — making the environment the focus of one of his presidential campaign’s first major policy rollouts, reports the Sun’s John Fritze.. The ideas, outlined in a USA TODAY op-ed, coincided with the release of an encyclical by Pope Francis, who called for a “bold cultural revolution” to address the threats posed by global warming.

FREDERICK BUDGET CHIEF PAYOUT: By the time Frederick County government is done paying Regina Williams under the terms of a settlement agreement, she will have collected about $118,000. Williams, the county’s former budget officer, has been receiving pay equivalent to a $115,065 annual salary since she went on leave in February. The county also agreed to pay Williams $78,000 on or shortly after the first payday of fiscal 2016, which is July 1, according to the agreement, which The Frederick News-Post obtained this week through a Maryland Public Information Act request, writes Jen Fifield for the paper.

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Bill to hike minimum wage heads to Gov. Hogan’s desk as he promises ‘careful review’ of legislation he has said could devastate Maryland economy; senators moved forward on a $46.6 billion budget plan; Speaker Busch promises legislation to overhaul UMMS board of directors as UMMS leaders meet with top officials and promise changes to restore confidence in board; Mayor Pugh returns $100,000 to UMMS, calls inquiry into book deal a ‘witch hunt,’ refuses to show tax documents; Senate also approves bill setting new goals on state use of clean energy; despite its ban on fracking, Maryland has become a gateway to move fracked gas around the world; Green, Libertarian parties lose state recognition; and if state funds come through, construction of Laurel ‘super track’ could begin in fall.